Hater Hall of Fame: Tek Jansen Edition

Stephen Tyrone Colbert,  Born May 13, 1964

Stephen Colbert was born in Washington D.C. to James and Lorna Colbert, and was the youngest of eleven children. His father worked as the VP for academic affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina, and his mother was a housewife. He was raised in an Irish Catholic family, but his parents were also big on intellectualism, and taught their children that it was possible to question the church while remaining a Catholic. As a kid, Colbert quickly picked up on the negative stereotypes that surrounded Southerners, and didn’t want people to think he was less intelligent because he grew up in a certain part of the country. To help him accomplish this goal, Stephen began to work on hiding his accent by imitating the speech of news anchors on TV. On September 11, 1974, Colbert’s father and two of his brothers were tragically killed in the Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 plane crash; soon after, his mother had relocated the family to a more urban section of Charleston – an adjustment Colbert found to be quite difficult. He has said that during this time he became very detached, and found solace by immersing himself in various science fiction books – as well as role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. In his teen years Colbert attended the Porter-Gaud School, where he wrote for the school newspaper, participated in several plays, and even briefly fronted a Rolling Stones cover band. After graduation, Stephen chose to attend Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia; there he studied philosophy, and first entertained the thought of pursuing a full-time acting career. Two years later, he transferred to Northwestern Universities School of Communication with the intent of one day becoming a dramatic actor.

While at Northwestern, Colbert began performing with a drama-based improvisation group out of Chicago called the Annoyance Theater; after he graduated in 1986, he was having a hard time finding work and took a job selling souvenirs and answering phones for the legendary Second City comedy troupe.  As an employee, Stephen was entitled to take free classes at their training center, and this led to a new found interest in comedic acting.  He initially began touring with the company as an understudy for Steve Carell, but would soon get a chance to display his own talents in a Comedy Central sketch show titled Exit 57- which was created by two of his close friends from Second City, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris.  Although the show only lasted twelve episodes, the reviews overall were positive and led to it being nominated for five Cable Ace Awards in 1995.  After Exit 57‘s cancellation, Colbert continued to work steadily both on and off screen.  He was a writer and cast member on The Dana Carvey show, a script consultant for VH1 & MTV, and briefly worked as a freelance writer for Saturday Night Live.  However, Colbert’s big break would come in 1997 when he was hired as a live correspondent on The Daily Show; it was here that Stephen developed his sardonic persona as a bible-thumping right-winger who closely resembles your average conservative talking head.  He was initially hired strictly on a trial basis, but before long he was widely recognized as the most popular fake correspondent on the show.  Colbert would be a major part of the The Daily Show for almost ten years, and his growing popularity eventually led to his own show.  The Colbert Report premiered after The Daily Show on Comedy Central back in October of 2005, and in the span of its 4+ years it has become one of the network’s highest rated shows.  Colbert’s no-nonsense attitude, perceived arrogance, and seemingly ethnocentric world views provide a satirical take on modern “news” programs – which often confuses dimwitted outsiders who aren’t sure whether he is serious or not.  Some of Colbert’s other popular projects include the defunct TV shows Strangers with Candy and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, some movies, and a NY Times best-selling book titled I Am America (And So Can You!).  So let’s take the time to salute a true American patriot, and the newest member of the Hater Hall of Fame:

A classic segment from The Daily Show known as “Even Stephven”: 

Stephen looks into the mirror and sees Glenn Beck – if that thought doesn’t send shudders down your spine, I don’t know what will:

Colbert taking on current events in “Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger”:

Bonus Clip:
Stephen roasts George Dubya at the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner